OFFICIALS CONSIDER TOWER NORTH OF SHACKELFORD ; VOICESTREAM

[Rich]

OFFICIALS CONSIDER TOWER NORTH OF SHACKELFORD ;
LAWYER URGES COUNTY TO EXAMINE PROBLEMS

Thursday April 18 12:00am
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The St. Louis County Council should consider Voicestream Wireless' problems with county officials before granting the telecommunication company permission to build a telephone tower in far north St. Louis County, Deputy County Counselor Robert Grant says.

The company wants to construct a 150-foot tower north of Shackelford Road. It would be in the rear of the property of Christ Covenant Church, 3625 Shackelford. The tower would be 900 feet southwest of New Halls Ferry Road.

The council's Public Improvements Committee discussed the tower for about an hour last week but made no decision.

Grant said the company owed the county $ 13,000 in rent for a tower in Creve Coeur County Park, $ 12,000 for one in Greensfelder County Park and an initial payment of $ 120,000 for a tower in Lone Elk County Park.

The tower in Lone Elk Park might be taller than the county allowed, Grant said. It is supposed to be no higher than 10 feet above the tree canopy, he says. County officials plan to use a County Police helicopter to help measure the distance that the tower exceeds the canopy, he says, but bad weather has delayed that.

Mark "Thor" Hearne II, attorney for Voicestream, said he and county officials were trying to resolve their differences. He said a survey had shown the tower in Lone Elk Park fit the requirements.

Hearne said in an interview that the county had billed the company for more money than company executives thought county ordinances required. Voicestream has delayed payment for the Lone Elk Park tower until the height issue is resolved, he says.

Grant argued that when the council considered permits for items such as telephone towers, it could take into account the past behavior of companies. Hearne said the council must stick to the proposal before the council.

Hearne declared that Voicestream had been a good corporate citizen. "We want to resolve the other issues," he said.

Voicestream selected the site because a tower there would close a gap in its cellular-telephone coverage in north St. Louis County. Other alternatives would leave some areas without service from the company, he said.

The area near the tower site is relatively undeveloped. To the north is a conference center of Boeing Co., and an estate of the Desloge family is nearby. Other areas are undeveloped and have potential to become subdivisions.

Glenn Powers, the county planning director, said the tall tower would be quite visible in the generally open area. The County Planning Commission, in recommending rejection of Voicestream's request, said the tower's height made it inappropriate at the site.

Powers told the committee, "We can't deny the ability of the carrier to provide service. We're restricted by the Federal Communications Commission."

The Rev. Mark Murchison, pastor of the Christ Covenant Church, said Voicestream had been very cooperative by moving the tower's location to the rear at the church's request. The congregation did not want the tower in the way of expansion plans, he said. Voicestream has made promised payments to the church on time, he says.